Birmingham New Street - Southern Approaches

The southern approaches to New Street station were complex
reflecting the development of the LNWR and the Midland Railway in Birmingham as
they outgrew the three Curzon Street stations and Lawley Street station. Moving
in stages to the Grand Central station that became New Street and with the
development of track realignment and the installation of new connections to
accommodate an ever increasing number of services, the southern approaches
became a complex but interesting feature of passengers arriving at New Street
station. Therefore Proof House Junction, Gloucester Road Junction and other
features situated between New Street station and Curzon Street and Lawley
Street are to be managed on this web page.

Accident at Derby Junction on 27th May 1892

The report on the collision of two passenger trains at
Derby Junction in 1892. This document was published on 20th July 1892 by Board
of Trade. It was written by Maj. F. A. Marindin.

"In this case the Birmingham and Wolverhampton portion of
the 2.10 p.m. down London and North-Western train, which left Rugby at 4.11
p.m., 11 minutes late, and the 3.45 p.m., Midland train from Derby to
Birmingham and Bristol, which had left Derby at 3.46 p.m., one minute late,
approached Derby junction upon converging lines and came into collision at 4.54
pm., at the fouling point of the two down lines, when both trains were running
at considerable speed... The consequences of the collision were very serious.
The right-hand leading end. of the engine of the London and North-Western train
struck the left side of the horse-. box next to the Midland tender, driving it
forward on to the tender, and breaking it up,. the Midland engine and tender
broke away from the train, and ran forward on the. rails for about 200 yards,
with the frame of the horse-box attached; the whole of the Midland train,
except the rear brake-van, was thrown off the rails to the right, some of the
vehicles on to the up London and North-Western line, and the whole of the
London and North-Western train, except the rear brake-carriage and one pair. of
wheels of the vehicle in front of it, was thrown off to the left side, the
engine, tender. and leading brake-van running for about 20 yards alongside the
parapet wall of the Lawley Street viaduct, breaking down this parapet, and then
falling over into a stable yard 29 feet below the level of the rails. The left
leading end of the engine was the first part to strike the ground, and the
engine then fell over on to its left side, the tender turned a complete
somersault, landing with its proper leading end against the smoke-box of the
engine and its trailing end towards Birmingham, and the brake-van fell upon its
wheels behind, and at one side of the engine, with its body broken into
splinters.

The London and North-Western driver and fireman, who went
down in the cab of their engine were very badly hurt, the driver having among
other injuries a leg broken and two fingers of his left hand crushed, and the
fireman having his left shoulder-blade. broken in three places, besides being
badly scalded; the front guard of the London and North-Western train, who went
down in his van, was fatally injured and has since died; a groom who was in the
horse-box next to the Midland tender was killed upon the spot, and a mare and
foal who were in the box had to be destroyed, and 66 passengers, 24 in the
Midland train, and 42 in the London and North- Western train, were injured,
some of them seriously."